Atlantic Union College nursing graduates are among those ranked #1 among the 1653 nursing programs in the nation. The Atlantic Union College Nursing Department just received a report of the results of the NCLEX-RN, the National Council Licensure Examination—the nurses' licensing exam. Graduating nurses took the exam between May and September, 2009. "All 25 of our May graduates passed the exam," says Dr. Lenora Follett, department chair.

Atlantic Union College (AUC) shares this #1 ranking with 157 other nursing programs in the nation with 100% pass rates. The total number of nursing programs with at least 10 graduates taking the test is 1653—which includes 610 Bachelor of Science in Nursing programs, 990 Associate Degree programs, and 53 Diploma programs.

The College's seven nursing professors focus on making this success possible by maintaining a high standard for students passing their exams, conducting good review classes, and expecting students to use critical thinking in clinical lab, skills lab, and case studies. "Students must work hard to learn the extensive amount of material that must be learned to become a professional nurse," explains Follett.

Students in AUC's nursing program are predominantly from Massachusetts, yet they come from all over the world including the Caribbean and Africa. They must have a GPA (grade point average) of 2.75 to enter program and a reading level of 13th grade.

"Congratulations to our graduates, the nursing faculty, and all of those involved in the students' education!" says Follett.